We are nearing the 48-hour mark as the 2025 NFL Draft is just a couple of days away — and Kansas City Chiefs rumors are still popping up on social media.
On the evening of April 21, KSHB 41 beat reporter and Chiefs insider Nick Jacobs relayed the following on X:
“A name to keep an eye on here in KC is wide receiver Jaylin Noel out of Iowa State and Park Hill HS. He should hear his name on day two. Matt [Derrick] and I spoke to him on @41IsTheMic a little over a month ago.”
Noel is the fifth-ranked wide receiver within Dane Brugler’s NFL draft guide, “The Beast,” which is published via The Athletic.
At Iowa State, Noel really broke out in 2023 and 2024. Over his final two seasons, he accumulated just over 2,000 receiving yards — with 1,194 during his final collegiate campaign.
Noel also breached the opposing end zone for 18 touchdowns throughout his four-year career at Iowa State, averaging 11.65 receiving yards per catch. That number jumped to 14.93 yards per catch in just 2024 alone.
Potential Chiefs NFL Draft Target Jaylin Noel Described as ‘Sturdy’ & ‘Speedy’ — Adds Experience as a Returner
Brugler described Noel as a “sturdy and speedy athlete” that is “smooth in and out of his breaks and plays with ‘stickum’ hands to consistently secure throws away from his body.”
“Despite not being much of a tackle-breaker, he has a pull-away gear (with or without the ball) that makes him a playmaker,” Brugler continued. Noting Noel’s “eight catches of 50 yards or more over the past two seasons, [which was] third-most in the FBS.”
Brugler also voiced that Noel gives “flashbacks” to watching veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk as a prospect, but NBC Sports draft expert Connor Rogers has also compared the big play threat to Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs on April 15.
One last pro of the Chiefs potentially selecting Noel in the NFL draft; he provides plenty of experience as a returner. KC sort of handed the returner duties over to Nikko Remigio at the end of the 2025 season, but competition is never a bad thing, and Noel should be an upgrade on Remigio as a receiver.
Noel averaged 8.8 yards per punt return and 21.1 yards per kick return in college, per Brugler.
The Athletic’s lead draft analyst concluded that “Noel is a smaller target but very quarterback-friendly, because of the confidence he has in his hands and his athletic versatility, which makes him tough to cover.”
Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel Says Getting Drafted by Chiefs Would Be ‘Surreal’ & ‘Just Amazing’
During Noel’s “41 is the Mic” interview, Chiefs Digest beat writer Matt Derrick asked Noel what it would be like to hear his name called by Kansas City, his hometown team.
With a big smile, the Iowa State wide receiver responded: “Ah man. It’ll be a lot. It’ll be like — I don’t know, it would be surreal, and then it’ll probably set in like an hour or so after.”
Noel added that any NFL opportunity would make him feel “blessed, thankful and very excited.”
Concluding: “But obviously, being from Kansas City, if that [were] to happen it would be something just amazing, honestly.”
Jacobs Does Not List Jaylin Noel as ‘Best Fit’ for Chiefs in NFL Draft
Although Jacobs said to keep an eye on Noel as an option for Kansas City, he does not see him as one of the “best fits” at wide receiver in this 2025 class.
In his annual draft preview, listing the “best fits” for the Chiefs at each position, Jacobs settled on Kyle Williams (Washington State) and Ricky White (UNLV) at wide receiver.
“Williams arguably has the best release among receivers in this draft,” Jacobs explained. “He can climb on top of his routes quickly and gets open even quicker. Williams is explosive in the open field after he has the football in his hands. He can take any play the distance. Williams is savvy enough to know when to push it to his third gear versus when to throttle back into neutral.”
For White, his “hidden gem” fit, Jacobs noted that the UNLV product “could become one of the premier special teams aces down the road” due to his “elite” ability at gunner (punt return coverage).
As a receiver, Jacobs wrote that “White will need to improve on his route running” and “his ability to defeat physical corners.”
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